The ineptness of most dealership service departments is appalling. We stopped buying Fords because the idiots in their service department screwed up more stuff than they fixed. As for Toyota service, it is probably the worst on the planet. Be glad you got rid of your Scion after 3 years. That's about the time the paint starts falling off. (read the Scion Tc reviews). As for the Calibre, it's so far ahead of anything in the Toyota/Scion line that there is really nothing there to fairly compare it to.
Totally agree with you about Ford dealerships, too. Had a Festiva (a brilliant car) but the dealership was LOOKING for reasons to void the warranty claims I was making (mainly some rattles). I never went back and found a reliable ind. mechanic for maintenance.
The irony about warranty claims is that the dealership is getting paid by the manufacturer to make them, so I don't understand why the dealer is so recalcitrant. Maybe they get secret bulletins stating the manufacturer won't pay for warranty claims. Who knows, but it's unacceptable.
The tC and the xB are totally different cars, and the Scion was in perfect shape when I sold it, paint and all.
We actually avoided buying another Chrysler product for 14 years because of the refusal of the Dodge dealership we bought our 1988 Daytona from to fix the defective brake rotors. They basically told us "We aren't going to fix it and you can't make us!!" This was 3 WEEKS after purchasing the car new in '88. Contacting Chrysler's national arbitration board was also a waste of time. They refused to even acknowledge my complaint. I ended up paying a private garage to replace the warped rotors and I drove the car 100,000 trouble free miles before trading it for a Ford. I did buy a Dakota 14 years later, but (THANKFULLY) never had a single complaint with it. I really like the new Calibre, but due to the refusal of Chrysler to honor their warranty, I will stick with Ford and GM products. Ford service is AWFUL, but they have always promptly taken care of any warranty problems. GM is the best. Never a complaint with them.
The true test of these cars will take another year or two. Everybody raved about the Neon when it came out, and it was a fun car to drive. But those cars went through head gaskets like no other. I would consider buying one if it came with a good warranty.
<<The true test of these cars will take another year or two. Everybody raved about the Neon when it came out, and it was a fun car to drive. But those cars went through head gaskets like no other. I would consider buying one if it came with a good warranty.>.
Warranties really mean nothing because 1) either the dealer will fight you on it, or 2) the car will be in the shop all the time with no rental car for you.
Yes, it is always good to have a warranty, but quality is the ultimate luxury regardless of the car.
Chrysler is in huge financial problems, and that means they are going to cut corners every which way they can.
I wouldn't get a Caliber until it was four years out, if that.
I'd also advise waiting a while to get a Caliber to see that any bugs that are there are fixed. Chrysler has a very bad reputation for not honoring their warranty, so if you DO have a problem, you're STUCK. With that said, I've owned 3 Dodges and all were totally flawless and 100% reliable vehicles.
I find the Dodge Caliber SXT CVT to be a excellent car, & in England, the best value for money 2 litre hatchback available.
My only complaints are that the suspension could be slightly better on our pot holed roads. Next the plastic at floor level is too light in color and should be the same as on the dash.
The CVT works well. However mpg is only 22, which is about right for a car of this weight.
Daimler Chrysler in England has very poor customer support & are far too slow to respond.
It's such a shame that a manufacturer like Chrysler is so poor at handling their customer's needs. I have found the same to be true of Ford in our area, and we have now switched to GM vehicles. Our local GM dealer is wonderful about taking care of our needs. This helps sell cars, so I really don't understand why Chrysler and Ford don't do something to improve their dealer service. I love the Calibre, but I am fearful of buying one until their reliability is proven because I know Chrysler will not honor their warranty.
<<It's such a shame that a manufacturer like Chrysler is so poor at handling their customer's needs. I have found the same to be true of Ford in our area, and we have now switched to GM vehicles. Our local GM dealer is wonderful about taking care of our needs. This helps sell cars, so I really don't understand why Chrysler and Ford don't do something to improve their dealer service. I love the Calibre, but I am fearful of buying one until their reliability is proven because I know Chrysler will not honor their warranty.>.
Hey, Chrysler just announced it's laying off another 10,000 people. You expect them to care about customers? Please.
Chrysler didn't honor their warranty when they were in GREAT financial shape either.
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